Chapter 572: Long-Planned Scheme

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Ren Buqing and Chu Qingzhi briefly surveyed the room before focusing their attention on the medicine chest.

Ren Buqing picked up the two locks and examined the keyholes. “Miss Qingzhi, what do you think?”

Chu Qingzhi pondered, “What kind of medicinal herbs were stored in this chest?”

A junior physician stepped forward to answer, “A thousand-year-old Ganoderma, worth a hundred thousand taels of silver.”

Indeed, it was a valuable medicinal herb.

“How often do you check the contents of the chest?”

“Once a month.” The junior physician fetched a book from the corner, opened it, and handed it to Chu Qingzhi. “The last check was half a month ago, and it’s recorded here.”

Chu Qingzhi examined the record; the last inspection was indeed half a month ago. “Why did you open the medicine chest today all of a sudden?”

The junior physician explained, “Today, we needed the thousand-year-old Ganoderma to prepare medicine for the Empress Dowager. She has been restless, suffering from insomnia and palpitations recently. The Emperor ordered the Imperial Hospital to use the best herbs.”

Ganoderma was indeed used to treat these symptoms. It made sense, and there was nothing suspicious.

Ren Buqing, arms crossed, looked at the junior physician. “Who was the first to discover the missing medicinal herbs?”

“It was Xia Yigong, the physician in charge of decocting the medicine.”

“Please bring Xia Yigong here.”

“Yes.”

Ren Buqing asked Chu Qingzhi, “Miss Qingzhi, have you noticed anything?”

Chu Qingzhi remained calm, giving nothing away. “Just routine questioning for now, no discoveries yet.”

Xia Yigong was soon brought in. “Miss Qingzhi, Lord Ren.”

Ren Buqing greeted with a bow, “Doctor Xia, don’t be nervous. It’s just a routine inquiry. Can you tell us how you discovered the empty chest?”

Xia Yigong nodded. “Today, after Chief Physician returned from treating the Empress Dowager, he wrote the prescription for me and specifically instructed to use the thousand-year-old Ganoderma. I followed the orders, weighed the other herbs, and when 1 went to retrieve the Ganoderma, I found the chest empty.”

Ren Buqing frowned slightly, “But weren’t the chief and deputy chief of the hospital supposed to open the chest?”

“No, it was their trusted aides, along with two others managing the medicinal storehouse. Six of us were present at that time.”

It was unlikely that all six were in collusion, and it would be impossible to conceal such a large piece of Ganoderma on one’s person.

Ren Buqing pursed his lips and looked at the other medicine chests. He suddenly turned and asked, “Could these chests also be empty?”

Chu Qingzhi glanced at the chests with her divine sense and noticed one was indeed empty. She immediately asked for the chief and deputy chief to be called in.

Yuan Zheng asked politely, “Miss Qingzhi, did you find anything?”

Chu Qingzhi walked over to a medicine chest beside Ren Buqing, not answering his question but instead saying, “Would the two of you please open this chest?”

The two men, puzzled, nevertheless unlocked the chest.

When the two layers of the chest were opened, they were shocked to find it empty too, and beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.

Ren Buqing looked at Chu Qingzhi, incredulous. How did she know there was a problem with that chest?

Yuan Zheng said, This chest contained boschniakia rossica, valued at two hundred thousand taels.”

Boschniakia rossica was also known as “Eternal Youth Herb.”

There was a village in Changyun Mountain, where a strange disease infected the whole village two hundred years ago.

Villagers afflicted with the disease developed wrinkles all over their bodies, and their black hair turned white within half a month, even affecting children.

When the villagers were at a loss, a female doctor wearing a purple floral wreath arrived. She taught the villagers to gather a certain herb.

After following her advice and consuming the herb, not only did everyone recover, but they also became more energetic than before.

Thus, the herb was named “Eternal Youth Herb.”

The Deputy Director Yuan Zheng was extremely anxious. “What’s going on?”

“There are only two conclusions: either this was a long-planned scheme or the thief possesses remarkable lock-picking skills,” said Ren Buqing, then looked at Chu Qingzhi. “What do you think, Miss Qingzhi?”

“Just a moment,” said Chu Qingzhi, taking the two empty chests and flipping them over, placing them on the ground.

She gently tapped the bottom of the chest, “The thief didn’t pick the locks. They opened the bottom of the chests, so… they’re skilled in carpentry, not lock-picking.”

After saying this, she gave a hard tap, and the bottoms of both chests fell out.

Yuan Zheng was puzzled. “These chests are specially made. Who could have such skills?”

Ren Buqing asked gravely, “Miss Qingzhi, have you noticed anything else?”

Chu Qingzhi picked up the bottom of a chest and sniffed it, “Check the wood shops to see who has bought this kind of glutinous rice glue.”

Glutinous rice glue is a common adhesive used by carpenters.

“We’ll go right away,” said Ren Buqing, taking the bottom panel and handing it to his subordinates to inquire around the city.

Yuan Zheng hesitantly asked, “Miss Qingzhi, could it be someone from our Imperial Hospital?”

Chu Qingzhi replied, “There’s too little evidence to confirm that at the moment.”

Yuan Zheng asked humbly, “Then what should we do now?”

“How many people are there in the Imperial Hospital?”

“Altogether, there are more than two hundred people.”

Questioning over two hundred people would be a monumental task. Chu Qingzhi pondered if there was a simpler way.

Ren Buqing returned and said, “Miss Qingzhi, I’ve sent people to investigate.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded, “Do you have any leads, sir?”

Ren Buqing looked at the two empty chests. “I think it’s unlikely that one person did this alone; there must be accomplices. Also, they’d need to fence the stolen goods. They wouldn’t dare sell them openly, so they might turn to… the black market.”

Chu Qingzhi offered a different opinion, “What if they didn’t sell it?”

Hearing this, Ren Buqing had a guess. His heart tightened slightly. “Miss Chu, what do you mean?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “What if the thief consumed the medicinal herb?”

This idea alarmed two chiefs too. The value of these herbs lay not in their price but in their rarity. If the thief consumed them, even killing the thief wouldn’t recover the lost herbs.

Ren Buqing became anxious, “Miss Qingzhi, do you have any way to quickly locate the herbs?”

Chu Qingzhi didn’t have a clear idea yet. “Let’s arrange it so that ten people at a time come in for questioning.”

Ren Buqing immediately agreed, “Alright, I’ll arrange it right away.”

A separate room was arranged. Starting with the two chiefs, groups of ten people entered the room. Chu Qingzhi sat behind a desk, with ten chairs placed in front of the desk for those being questioned.

“Please, take a seat.”

Everyone cooperated fully, eager to recover the medicinal herbs quickly.

Yuan Zheng said, “Miss Qingzhi, please ask your questions.”

Chu Qingzhi began, “Tell me, have any of you been to the storage room for medicinal herbs from half a month ago to today? If you have, what was the reason for your visit?”

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